Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Red Yoduluth.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Red Yoduluthxe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a mutation induction program conducted by the Inventor in Fort Myers, Fla. The objective of the program is to create new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time, and good postproduction longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum originated by exposing unrooted cuttings of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yoduluth, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,993, to X-ray radiation in August, 1998 in Fort Myers, Fla. Following the radiation treatment, the cuttings were rooted and terminal apices were removed (pinched) three times to promote lateral branch development. After lateral branches from the third pinch reached sufficient size, terminal cuttings were harvested, planted and flowered. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within this population in January, 1999, in a controlled environment in Fort Myers, Fla. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, good vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, and excellent postproduction longevity.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in April, 1999. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Red Yoduluth has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Red Yoduluthxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Red Yoduluthxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:
1. Uniform, tall and upright plant habit.
2. Strong and freely branching growth habit.
3. Dark green foliage.
4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.
5. Nine-week flowering response time.
6. Daisy-type inflorescences.
7. Spoon-shaped ray florets with red-colored throats and light yellow-colored tubes.
8. Excellent postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about four weeks in an interior environment.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the cultivar Yoduluth in ray floret coloration as plants of the new Chrysanthemum have ray florets with red-colored throats whereas plants of the cultivar Yoduluth have ray florets with purple-colored throats. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum have longer postproduction longevity than plants of the cultivar Yoduluth.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Rage, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,770. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Rage in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more vigorous than plants of the cultivar Rage.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one week later than plants of the cultivar Rage.
3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were spoon-shaped with long corolla tubes whereas ray florets of plants of the cultivar Rage were mostly flat with short corolla tubes.